Opinion! The shadows of competent, versatile Napo and the enemies within

In the game of politics, one dangerous thing that scares almost all politicians is the ‘enemy within’ syndrome under which elements within one's political entity gang against him or her.

When such deadly evil is fashioned out, it paves the way for persons outside to also take advantage of the situation to do their own thing.

The enemy within phenomena has heavy grounds within both the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) but the situation NPP is becoming number one in sabotaging its own.

Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh has virtually become the biggest victim of sabotage within his party and government as he has been forced by some to roll on the ground to receive punches that otherwise should not be targeted and directed at him.

The man who is defined by competency and versatility because of his unique way of working since the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo administration came into being in January 2017, is not having it easy.

There is no doubt that he delivered on his first appointment as the Education Minister in the first term of the Akufo-Addo government.

The medical doctor whose appointment as the one to roll out the government’s flagship programme, Free Senior High School (Free SHS) surprised lots of Ghanaians but he gave an excellent account of himself and left an unprecedented legacy at the Ministry of Education.

The Free SHS was smoothly rolled out and he was able to handle the teething problems that came with the programme because of his unique playing skills of always carrying himself as the servant.

People who worked with him at the ministry could attest to how he rallied everybody on board, making him the only education minister whose tenure did not witness any strike action by unions in the education sector.

His appointment to the Energy Ministry in the second term of President Akufo-Addo did not come as a surprise to many because Dr Prempeh had asserted himself as someone who could solve critical problems and fashion out innovative ideas to help in the governance of Ghana.

In the politics of the NPP, Dr Prempeh popularly called Napo is trending in all corners and has been associated with the running mate to the party’s presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia because of active involvement in the party’s activities and has a good rapport with party faithful as he is ever ready to listen to everyone and support in whichever way he could.

Napo’s honesty and integrity could not be questioned at any level and that has made him gain pedigree and gravitas within the NPP to the extent that his shadows make certain people uncomfortable, forcing them to consistently plan how to bring him down.

The current electricity situation has made some elements within the NPP and government collude and undermine his good works at the Ministry of Energy so that they could get away with their deals and make the ministry their goldmine.

Unfortunately, some Ghanaians have seen through the iniquitous agenda against Dr. Prempeh and are questioning the rationale behind their game plan.

For instance, Mr Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper who is also an experienced political commentator, could not understand the incessant attacks on the Energy Minister.

Mr Pratt Jnr was worried about how certain groups within the NPP had targeted the minister, who is also a Member of Parliament for Manhyia South in the Ashanti Region.

‘’One of the papers is reporting that a group of people are sabotaging Napo so that Bawumia won’t appoint him as his running mate. But where from this too?

‘’The truth be told, I haven’t heard Napo himself saying that he wants to become Vice President. People are only expressing their views on the matter that if he gets such an appointment it would be good and that would help the NPP and Ghana as a whole and that is not bad,’’

Mr. Pratt said on a panel discussion on Peace FM’s 'Kokrokoo' programme on April 15, 2024.

He went further to question the validity of the running mate speculations and whether there exists a concerted effort to undermine Dr Prempeh’s political aspirations.

‘’So why should there be a conspiracy against him, what wrong has Napo done to the people... to sabotage him, that is not fair,’’ he added.

Mr Bernard Mornah, former Chairman of the People’s National Convention (PNC), also smells sabotage against Dr Prempeh following comments made by Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo to the effect that only the Minister of Energy can order the publication of a load shedding 'dumsor' timetable meant to scuttle the chances of Dr Prempeh in the search for NPP running mate.

According to Bernard Monarh, who touted the integrity of Napo, the position of Mr Osafo-Maafo was to scuttle the chances of Napo because they don’t like him, adding ‘’Clearly the likes of Osafo-Maafo want to shift the blame on Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh just because he is in contention in the NPP running mate agenda. For me, there is a higher authority and that higher authority is not Matthew Opoku Prempeh.’’

Hurtful as it is with how people within the NPP are treating and dealing with Dr Prempeh, his hard work, solid integrity, love and relationship with NPP persons will continue to prevail.

One thing that those struggling to dirty Dr Prempeh may have to live with till eternity is the fact that his shadows would continue to make them unhappy and uncomfortable because he has built himself to be competent and versatile always.